Five Times Chloe Was Kissed By Bruce Wayne
by revivingophelia
Summary: Five encounters between Chloe Sullivan and the Caped Crusader. Chloe/Bruce. Originally posted by me at livejournal in 2009.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Five Times Chloe Was Kissed By Bruce Wayne  
Author: Karen U  
Pairing/Character: Chloe/Bruce  
Disclaimer: No one you recognize belongs to me  
Rating: PG13/T  
Summary: see title  
Spoilers: for Smallville, post-season 6. For Batman, post-Batman Begins. I'm using some stuff that was introduced early in TDK, but just general things, like Gordon being over the Major Crimes Unit. In my head, however, Rachel is played by Maggie Gyllenhaal 'cause I don't like Katie Holmes  
Warnings: mild languge, violence.

Part One: Encounter With the Caped Crusader

She'd been in Gotham for a week. Part of it was for a story she was researching (hello, the city had a man that swooped around in full Kevlar costume and beat the crap out of criminals) and part of it was doing research for Oliver Queen. Clark Kent didn't approve of either of her reasons for coming to Gotham, but Chloe had reminded him yet again that what she did and didn't do wasn't really any of his business. He held no dominion over her, and even if it was difficult to say no when he gave her those puppy-dog looks, there was no way she was missing out on this.

So far, unfortunately, things hadn't gone quite as she'd hoped. Oh, she'd managed to get the information for Oliver: Lex was indeed trying to set up shop in Gotham, but it wasn't working out very well because Bruce Wayne was apparently blocking any attempts at a legitimate-appearing business venture on Lex's part. Of course, Lex could do things under the table as well, and despite Batman's hard work at cleaning up the city, he was still only one man, so the mob was still in business for the moment... And well, Lex Luthor had absolutely no issues going to the mob on occasion if it got him what he wanted. Yes, Chloe had managed to get plenty of information on Lex's attempted dealings in Gotham, but she'd gotten very little on the actual story she was there for.

Batman. Or, as some people referred to him, 'the Batman'. Chloe preferred to refer to him simply as Batman because, well, putting 'the' in front of it just sounded a little silly. She'd interviewed some people that'd had encounters with him, though really, civilians never seemed to see more than just a blur, and she hadn't been able to get in to see more than a couple of the criminals the man had caught. Jim Gordon, the man in the Gotham Police Department and the new head of the Major Crimes Unit that Batman preferred to deal with, had been polite but distant. He seemed intent on protecting this caped crusader (Chloe had found she rather liked that as a description for the as-yet unseen vigilante), and though Chloe had no intention to print anything harmful about Batman (despite his somewhat harsh methods at times, she knew he had his own code and obviously stuck to it and was definitely improving the city), he was hesitant to give her, a reporter from another city, too much information. That, of course, led Chloe to going out on her own in an attempt to spot Batman, something that she was cautioned not to do... But really, if her friends couldn't get her to stop running headlong into danger, why would she listen to the head of Gotham's Major Crimes Unit?

Okay, so maybe not listening to Jim Gordon's well-intended advice wasn't the smartest thing she'd ever done.

Unfortunately, it was probably too late to do anything about it. In fact, it was probably too late to do much of anything except fight for her life.

Chloe cursed as she was thrown to the ground, the blonde grabbing her taser and turning it on, jamming it into her attacker's gut. He screamed at the contact, Chloe wincing at the sizzle of the voltage burning clothes and skin, and she might have managed to get away then if it wasn't for the fact that her attacker wasn't alone. A hand fisted in her hair, yanking her up, and tears sprang to her eyes at the pain. She kicked the guy in the kneecap, almost causing him to lose his grip, but all she ended up getting for her efforts was backhanded across the face. Her back hit the wall, and she saw the glint of a knife, and then-

He was gone.

Yanked away from her in an instant, the man thrown away from her. There had been no warning, no sound to alert anyone of her rescuer's presence, but suddenly he was there, beating the holy hell out of one of her attackers. He seemed huge, covered in miles of black, his face covered by a mask that was far less likely to fall off than Oliver's hood probably was. (Somehow, however, she just couldn't see the Green Arrow taking fashion tips from Batman. Especially when it came to the color of their costumes.) His fighting style was vicious and efficient, and within seconds, the thug that had attacked her was unconscious at his feet. He turned to look at her then, and Chloe licked suddenly dry lips as Batman's gaze fell on her.

There was very little light, but she could still tell that his eyes were dark. They stared out at her from the mask, a penetrating gaze, and Chloe understood why it was that people spoke about Batman with such hushed voices, such hints of awe. His presence, his appearance, was intended to inspire fear, and for the typical person, it did.

Chloe Sullivan was anything but typical.

She wiped at her cheek, wincing when she felt a scrape there. "Thank you," she said, her voice strong and clear, and if he was surprised by how steady she sounded, he didn't show it.

"You shouldn't be out here." His voice was low and gravelly. Disguised, she imagined, though it wasn't the metallic sound of a voice distorter. He seemed to mostly be lowering his own voice, speaking more harshly.

"Yeah, well, I do a lot of things I shouldn't," Chloe replied, stepping closer to him. A flicker of... something... in his dark eyes made her think that the movement surprised him. He was probably used to people - even those he was rescuing - being too afraid of him to get very close. "It's a bad habit of mine."

He frowned. "You're not afraid of me," he said, and Chloe shrugged, answering despite the fact that it was clearly a statement and not a question.

"You're not the first hero vigilante I've met," the little blonde replied, then tilted her head to the side. "Talking like that probably hurts your throat after awhile. You could always use a voice distorter. The Green Arrow does."

He blinked. "Why would I want to be like the Green Arrow?" He sounded vaguely insulted, and Chloe couldn't help the grin that came to her face at the tone of voice.

"Well, he does have some pretty tricked-out gadgets," she said, still smiling, her gaze just barely flicking from his as she noticed a movement in the background. Chloe acted on instinct, lunging sideways and unthinkingly yanking Batman with her, and she supposed the only reason he didn't react like it was an attack was because he didn't see her as any sort of a threat. As they fell a shot rang out, the thug that Chloe had tasered before no longer forgotten on the ground but instead holding a gun as he stood over his unconscious buddy. The bullet went right through where she and Batman had been standing, missing them by inches as they fell to the side, strong arms coming around her as the man in black turned them so that he took the brunt of the fall.

Batman was back on his feet in an instant, and the thug was on his back only seconds later, Chloe still laying on the ground as the crack of a bone breaking rang out, the thug running off holding his injured wrist, the gun now on the ground. The caped crusader turned to her then, stepping towards her and reaching out a gloved hand to help her up, Chloe taking it with little hesitation.

"He was going to shoot me in the back," came the low, gravelly voice, and Chloe pressed her lips together. "You pulled me out of the way."

"You probably would have noticed him yourself if I hadn't distracted you," the blonde said quietly, starting to think about how surreal this whole situation was. She was standing in some crappy place in Gotham, actually having a conversation with Batman. Batman never stopped to talk to people more than he had to. He just rescued, then left, from what she could gather. Of course, the fact that he hadn't just run off this time had nearly gotten him shot.

"I should have checked him for a weapon," Batman said, sounding a bit disgusted with himself, and then he turned back to her. Chloe's eyes widened in surprise when his hand lifted, coming towards her, and then his gloved fingers were on her cheek. "You'll have a bruise."

She took a deep breath, surprised by the little thrill that shot through her at the touch. It wasn't even skin on skin; the man was wearing gloves, for goodness' sakes! Damn her for having such a thing for hero-types. Although she usually picked more cheerful, less broody and forboding heroes... And no, she was not going to have a crush on Batman. No way, no how.

"Trust me. I've had worse," she told him, glancing away, and he stepped back, seeming to think she was intimidated by his presence, and seeming almost like he didn't want to intimidate her, which was kind of weird... Intimidation seemed to be Batman's thing.

"You should get home."

"Back to my hotel, actually. I'm not from around here. I'm from Metropolis, mostly," she told him. It was, after all, where she spent most of her time now, between working for Oliver and working for the Planet.

Batman nodded, though he didn't say anything, the large man stepping back from her, but before he could just disappear into the night, Chloe reached out again, putting her hand on his arm. He froze instantly, turning back to look at her. She gave him a smile.

"Thank you. For saving me tonight," she told him, eyes locked on his, and then something happened that she never would have expected and really couldn't explain. Because as she stood there looking up at Gotham's vigilante hero, a dark man that most feared, he stepped closer to her, his hand on her face once more, gloved fingers touching her cheek...

And then, quite suddenly, he kissed her. He didn't force anything, didn't try to maul her, his lips just brushed over hers once, twice, three times, and then he pulled away, something about the way he was looking at her making her think he'd shocked himself as much as he had her... And then he was gone. Batman was gone, having left as suddenly as he came, and Chloe stood there in shock for a moment before she reached down to pick up the purse she'd lost as well as her taser, then hurried off in the direction she knew her hotel to be in.

She wasn't aware of the eyes of Gotham's resident hero watching her every move, making sure she got to her destination safely.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer, notes, in part 1.

Part Two: Of Banquets and Billionaire Playboys

She was at the benefit at the request of Oliver Queen. In fact, if one wanted to be technical about it, she was actually Oliver's date. His invitation to the benefit had been to Mr. Queen and guest, and he had called her and asked her to be the guest. Chloe supposed that she'd been the most obvious choice for him. After all, she was still in Gotham for her Batman story (and doing some minor work for Oliver and the guys), and the benefit itself was in Gotham. Some big, fancy party that was also a fundraiser for various city charities, including a home for abused women and several children's charities. Chloe wasn't altogether comfortable with the whole fancy party thing - she never knew quite what to wear - but Oliver had told her not worry, just to let him know her dress and shoe size and he'd take care of everything.

And he had.

Unsurprisingly, the dress was green, but it was also gorgeous, so Oliver could be forgiven for deciding to dress her in his favorite color. It was a deep shade of green, strapless, but cut in such a way that she wasn't going to spend all night worrying that it would slip or anything. It flared slightly starting at her hips, the skirt of the dress seeming to flow to the floor, and despite the fact that her shoes couldn't be seen because of the dress's length, her heels matched the color of her dress perfectly. Oliver had provided her jewelry as well, but thankfully had avoided going too overboard with the necklace and earrings that he'd told her to consider a birthday gift. When she'd pointed out that her birthday had been months before, he'd just rolled his eyes and said that the jewelry was a gift and not to worry about it. Despite his words, she couldn't help but think about everything he'd apparently bought just so she could go to the banquet with him... Chloe really didn't want to know how much he'd spent on her. She knew he had the money and that he didn't expect anything from her, that he was just that type of person, but it still make her feel a little awkward sometimes.

Chloe bit her lip, looking around at the room filled with Gotham's richest and most well-known citizens... Not just Gotham's, though, she supposed. Oliver wasn't the only person from out of town that had come to this benefit that was being thrown by Bruce Wayne. She'd seen a few other faces she recognized from the political and financial sections of the paper, and much to her dismay, she'd seen Lex Luthor as well. Apparently, Lex was still trying to get his foot in the door to create some business ventures here in Gotham, because he was at the event as well. From what she could tell, he hadn't noticed her yet, but if she was at Oliver's side most of the night, it was unlikely that Lex would overlook her completely. That was one of the reasons why the petite blonde wasn't at Oliver's side at the moment... That and the fact that Oliver was currently talking with Bruce Wayne, the man whose backing was the reason this benefit was happening. Bruce Wayne was the most important businessman in all of Gotham; Lex would certainly have an eye on him all night.

"There's one man I hoped I wouldn't see," a female voice muttered, and Chloe looked over, realizing the tall brunette wasn't actually speaking to her when the blond man at her side spoke back to her.

"This is a charity benefit, Rachel, and the fact that Lex Luthor is here-"

"Means he's probably got an ulterior motive." Chloe couldn't help the words that slipped from her mouth, and she fought the urge to wince when both people looked over at her. "I apologize. I overheard-"

"Do you actually know Luthor, or do you just get a general feeling of sliminess whenever you see him like I do?" the brunette asked, clearly undaunted, and Chloe pressed her lips together, thinking of the barely visible scar she had just beneath her collarbone, where Clark had been forced to use his heat vision in order to get a GPS device out of her shoulder.

"I've had a few run-ins with him," Chloe said, speaking carefully, fighting the urge to glare at the bald billionaire. "His father as well."

The brunette made a face. "Ouch. I have memories of Lionel Luthor," the woman said. "I never liked him. He scared me as a child," she said, then quickly added. "My mother worked for the Wayne family growing up, so... I saw him on occasion." She held out her hand to shake. "I'm Rachel Dawes. I work in the DA's office."

"Chloe Sullivan. I work at the Daily Planet, but I'm actually just here as the guest of a friend." She discreetly pointed to the handsome billionaire she'd come with. "I'm trying to stay away from Lex's radar, so when Oliver went to talk to the man throwing this thing, I figured it was a good idea to lay low." She shook hands with the blond man at Rachel's side as well, who introduced himself as Harvey Dent. Apparently, he was Gotham's new DA, and it was pretty clear that he and Rachel were together. Rachel was eyeing the direction Chloe had pointed in with an arched brow.

"You came here with Oliver Queen? That is Oliver Queen, right?"

Chloe nodded. "He's... a friend," the blonde said, not knowing exactly how to state her relationship with Oliver. He was her friend, but he was also her boss... It's just that others didn't know about that second part. On top of that, it was a little awkward to say 'oh, and he used to date my cousin' as a way of knowing him, so she instead went with something a little more vague and simple. "Oliver and I met through Martha Kent-"

"The Senator from Kansas," Dent interrupted. "I have to admit, from what I've heard about her, she is a very admirable woman."

"She's almost like a mother to me. I've been best friends with her son Clark for years," Chloe said, then scowled slightly as she saw Lex make his way over to where Oliver and Bruce were standing. Clearly, it was a good idea on her part to step away from Ollie for a moment. Both Oliver and Bruce looked vaguely annoyed at Lex's approach, though years of being in the public eye had them hiding their annoyance so quickly and completely that very few people probably noticed it at all. Rachel arched a brow as she took in the sight of the woman on Lex's arm.

"I know gossip is unseemly, but... Didn't Luthor just get divorced not long ago?" the brunette asked, and Chloe snorted.

"He's been divorced multiple times, actually. But yes, one of them was recently. I think the fact that several of his wives have tried to kill him and one even faked her own death and managed to get him arrested for it... Well, you'd think the man would take that as a sign he shouldn't get married anymore," the blonde said, realizing that she'd probably said too much only an instant before Rachel started laughing.

"You know what, Chloe?" she said. "I think I really like you."

Chloe smiled at that, opening her mouth to say something more, then frowning suddenly when she saw Lex breaking away from Bruce and Oliver. Either the man knew he wasn't wanted there, or he had seen someone else he wanted to annoy. Given the fact that he was looking straight at her, she had the sinking feeling it was the latter and that he was coming towards her. Oliver was still talking to Bruce Wayne, which meant that the blond billionaire didn't see Lex approaching her.

"Miss Sullivan. Fancy meeting you here," Lex said, his voice smooth as silk, and Chloe found herself with the sudden urge to kick him in the shins. Only years of her father telling her that wasn't the appropriate response when people made her angry kept her from doing so. Well, that and the fact that the shoes Oliver had chosen for her were open-toed. Kicking him would likely hurt her as much as it would him.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him, and Chloe was oddly aware of the fact that neither Rachel nor Harvey had taken off upon Lex's approach. Despite the fact that she'd literally met the brunette woman five minutes ago, Chloe was liking her more and more with each passing moment. "Lex," she said evenly, no inflection in her voice. She didn't say it was nice to see him, because while Chloe was known to lie to help keep her friends' secrets, that was only because it was necessary. In her day to day life, she tried to lie as little as possible.

"I didn't realize that the Planet had sent someone here-"

"They didn't," Chloe began, only to realize that both Oliver Queen and Bruce Wayne were suddenly there, having apparently noticed where Lex had gone to when he'd left them. Oliver stood next to her, his arm automatically going around her protectively, and Bruce Wayne stood there glowering and looking dangerous. Chloe found something vaguely familiar about the look in the man's eyes but she shrugged it off.

"Chloe's here with me, actually," Oliver said, his smile charming, but a hint of warning in his voice. "I knew she was in town, so when I got the invitation to the benefit, I asked her to come with me. That way I could be assured of having good company this evening."

"From one cousin to the other, is it, Queen?" Lex asked, viciously polite, and Oliver's expression briefly went into a glare.

"Just because you're not capable of having an actual friendship with a woman doesn't mean that I'm not," the blond man said, his tone more mild than his expression, and his hand clenched into a fist when Lex suddenly reached out towards Chloe... The blonde woman freezing when his finger ran over the scar near her collarbone.

"Whatever happened here, Miss Sullivan?" he questioned, and Chloe couldn't take it anymore. She reached for a champagne flute from a passing waiter, then flung the contents of it in Lex's face.

"Like you don't know," she snapped out, then looked over at his date. "Most of the women in his life either try to kill him or end up crazy, so do be careful," she advised the woman, then spun on her heel, walking past the wide-eyed form of Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes, who seemed torn between laughing at what Chloe had done and worrying about what had just happened. Bruce Wayne was just glowering, and Oliver looked too ready to bash Lex's face in to stop her from walking across the ballroom. She headed straight for the balconies, glad that the slightly chilly night air was keeping others from heading out there, because it meant she was alone. She shivered a little as the cool air hit her, but she ignored the chill as best she could... Shuddering as she rubbed at the spot that Lex had touched. Damn him for being able to get under her skin like that. She hated him, she really did... They both knew exactly what he and his scientists had done to her, but she had no actual memory of it; she just knew the end result was the GPS device that was now destroyed. The thought of him touching her made her feel dirty, and she hated that the bald bastard had that kind of power over her.

Chloe sensed someone come out behind her, and she heaved out a sigh. "I'm not in the mood for company, Oliver," she said, and she was surprised when a different voice was the one that answered her.

"I suppose it's a good thing I'm not Oliver then," a man said, and Chloe turned her head to see Bruce Wayne standing a few feet away. If the cool night air was effecting him, he didn't show it. But then again, he was in a tux, which meant he was wearing a jacket, and Chloe's arms and shoulders were entirely bare thanks to the strapless dress she wore.

Chloe was certain that her surprise showed on her face as the man approached her. She knew that he had gone to school with Oliver, but had been a year above him. Like Oliver, he'd lost his parents as a child. However, while Oliver's parents had been killed in a plane crash, Bruce Wayne's parents had been gunned down right in front of him. She couldn't imagine the kind of scars that would leave on a child. "Mr. Wayne. It's a lovely benefit you've put together," she said, knowing she sounded a little stiff, and she was surprised when the tall man came to a stop beside her. He wasn't quite as tall as Oliver or Clark, but he was somehow just as imposing a figure, maybe even more. He was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome, and his gaze was penetrating enough that it was like he could see right into her. Once again, his gaze struck her as familiar. For the moment, she wrote it off as having seen it coming at her from a magazine cover or something.

The hint of a smile touched his lips as he stood next to her, his hands resting lightly on the railing of the balcony. "My planners put together something nice enough, I suppose. I can't take credit for more than the idea." He looked over at her. "I believe that you just provided the excitement."

Chloe paled at that. She'd acted on instinct in there, not even taking into account that she was at a charity event and should be on her best behavior... Or the fact that she was technically there as Oliver's date and therefore her behavior would reflect on him... "Oh, I am so sorry. My behavior-"

"Was only something that several other people would have loved to have done themselves," Bruce interrupted her, the beginning of a smile playing over the handsome man's lips. He didn't seem the least bit upset by her actions, and Chloe found herself being a bit relieved by that. He was, after all, the host of the event, and since he was also rich and powerful, offending him was probably not a good idea. "A lot of people in that room don't like Lex Luthor, Miss Sullivan, and they're probably rather happy with what's happened." He arched a brow as he saw her blanch. "Miss Sullivan?"

"You are the fourth billionaire I've met in my life, Mr. Wayne."

"And?"

"Only the creepy ones call me Miss Sullivan," she told him solemnly, and a smile broke out on his face. He had a beautiful smile. Of course, he was a beautiful man.

He arched a brow again. "And what does Oliver call you?" he questioned, and Chloe was silent for a moment, vaguely wondering what Bruce Wayne would say if she told him that Oliver preferred to call her Sidekick or Watchtower. She smiled slightly.

"You can call me Chloe."

"Then please call me Bruce," he said, then frowned suddenly as he looked at her. Chloe was about to ask what was wrong when he was suddenly in motion, removing the jacket of his tuxedo and draping it over her shoulders while she looked at him in surprise. "It's too cold for you to be out here without a jacket," the man said by way of explanation, and Chloe nodded slightly, clutching the jacket to herself a little so that it wouldn't slip from her shoulders.

"I guess chivalry isn't dead," the blonde said quietly, then glanced over her shoulder. "I would have thought Oliver would be out here by now."

"He was busy," Bruce said with a smile that was slightly wicked, and Chloe groaned.

"Oh, no, what did he do?" she asked, and Bruce grinned.

"Nothing that Lex didn't deserve," the billionaire said, and Chloe had to fight the urge to just bury her face in her hands. She should have known that tonight would be a total disaster the moment she saw that Lex Luthor was in the building.

"Well, that'll teach Ollie to take me out in public," she muttered, watching as Bruce's smile widened. She sent a glare his way, completely forgetting for a moment that he was rich, powerful, and utterly gorgeous in a somewhat dark and dangerous sort of way. "You're enjoying this."

"One of the better moments of the party, I admit," he said, then tilted his head as he looked at her. His gaze fell on her cheek, where Chloe knew that the remnants of the bruise she'd had after the attack Batman had thwarted could just barely be seen. He didn't say anything about it, though, which Chloe found a little odd only because everyone that had noticed it had commented on it. Oliver had wanted to go and find the goons and give them another beating, but she'd managed to talk him out of it. Thankfully, the bruise would be totally gone by the time Clark saw her again, because she had the odd feeling that he would be even harder to talk out of going after the guys than Oliver had been.

"Well, I'm glad you find my immature behavior amusing."

"I'm guessing Lex knows how to push your buttons. And given the look on his face when you walked out, I'm thinking you know how to push his buttons, too." He paused. "How many woman would you say have attempted Lex's demise?" Bruce asked, and Chloe laughed.

"I lost count after awhile," she told him, very aware of Bruce's eyes on her. He cleared his throat.

"Obviously, we each know who the other is, but I suppose we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Bruce Wayne."

"Chloe Sullivan," she replied, matching his smile with one of her own.

"It's nice to meet you, Chloe Sullivan," Bruce said, then gave her a look. "So tell me, are you and Oliver truly only friends?" he asked, and the blonde blinked in surprise at his question, then nodded.

"We are. Why?"

"I'm just wondering how big of a fool my old friend is. And if he's just friends with someone as beautiful as you, then he is definitely a fool," he said, and Chloe arched a brow at him.

"Are you trying to be charming?" she asked, thinking vaguely about the reputation Bruce Wayne was known to have and thinking, at the moment, that he definitely deserved it. He smiled at her.

"Perhaps," the man admitted, looking out at the city that stretched out in front of them, then slanting a look her way. "Is it working?"

She smiled. "I haven't decided yet."

"Make sure and let me know what you decide," Bruce instructed, he told her, and Chloe nodded, the two of them standing in silence for several moments before Chloe sighed.

"Yes."

"Excuse me?"

"Yes. It's working. Even though I know it shouldn't," she said, and since she was carefully avoiding looking at him, she sensed more than saw him look at her.

"You are quite fascinating."

She sent him a look. "Then the people you spend most of your time with must be quite boring," she returned, and he nodded.

"They are," he admitted. "You promise that you and Oliver are just friends?"

"I don't see why you're so worried about it, but... We're just friends. Nothing more."

"So... If I were to kiss you, Oliver would have no reason to just haul off and punch me?" Bruce questioned, and Chloe arched a brow at him, turning to face the man. She couldn't deny that there had been a little thrill up her spine when the word 'kiss' had come from his lips, something that Chloe knew was totally inappropriate given the fact that she barely knew this man... and she knew his reputation.

"Shouldn't you be asking if I would haul off and punch you if you kissed me?" the blonde tossed back at him, and she could see the amusement and approval in his eyes at her retort.

"I'm working my way up to that," the dark-haired man said. "Would you hit me?"

"What would your date have to say-"

"Didn't you notice? I arrived alone," Bruce interrupted, and Chloe blinked when she realized that Bruce Wayne had indeed arrived alone. He was known for appearing around town with various socialites, but at certain events - such as this one - he did come alone. "So... Are you planning to hit me, Chloe Sullivan?"

"I don't know," was the only thing she could think to say as she stood there looking at him, and he smiled.

"I suppose I'll just have to take my chances." She barely had an instant to register his words before he leaned in towards her, his lips pressing softly against hers. She stiffened in shock for a moment, but then she realized that he was actually a very good kisser and it wasn't like he was trying for anything more than just a kiss... And his lips were so soft and his hand on her cheek was so gentle, his fingers stroking just over where the bruise had been, and it seemed like he was being even more cautious as he touched her there... And then he lifted his head from hers, his eyes on hers, and Chloe was struck with a thought that felt like a kick to the gut.

As her mind was processing that thought, Chloe forced herself to act as normally as possible... Or as normally as one possibly can when she's just been kissed by a billionaire she only met a matter of minutes ago.

"So, are you going to punch me?"

"The jury's still out," she managed to say, even smiling a little as she said it, and then Bruce straightened up slightly, his gaze on the doors to the balcony.

"It looks like your date's done with Luthor," he said, giving Oliver a friendly enough smile as the blond man came out onto the balcony. Given the way Oliver was looking down at his fist and frowning instead of freaking out, Chloe was pretty sure that he hadn't seen Bruce kiss her. Because just a friend or not? Oliver was seriously protective of her and would probably not react well. Especially since from the look of it, he'd probably just come from punching Lex in the face or something.

Chloe heaved out an exasperated sigh as she saw the blond man's bruised knuckles. "Oliver, what did you do?" she exclaimed as she walked over to him, reaching out to take his hand and examining it. He gave a one-armed shrug.

"Nothing I haven't wanted to do for years. Bruce, look-"

"Lex is an ass. We both know it. If nothing else, at least I'm not the one on the front page of the gossip section tomorrow," the dark-haired man said, then sighed. "I suppose I should get back to it. I am the host, after all."

He'd started to make his way back in before Chloe realized she still had his jacket on her shoulders. "Bruce! Your jacket!" she burst out, making her way over to him and giving him it to him. Their fingers brushed as she handed it over, and he smiled at her.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Chloe Sullivan," he said, still smiling, then looking past her to Oliver and nodding at his friend. When Chloe turned back to the blond man, he was giving her a knowing look.

"What?" she asked, coming back to where Oliver stood, and he rolled his eyes as he removed his jacket, placing it over her shoulders, running his hands up and down her arms before he let her go back to looking at his knuckles.

"Bruce made a move on you didn't he?" he asked, and Chloe sighed, fighting the smile that was playing at her lips.

"Even if he did, I'm too smart to fall for some playboy billionaire," she told him, then sighed. "Lex touched me," she whispered, her hand shaking a little as she reached up to touch the scar, but before she could, Oliver reached out to her, his arms coming around her and drawing her against him, Chloe feeling very safe as she stood there in his arms, her head resting on his chest.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stop him, Sidekick. If it makes you feel better, I'm pretty sure he broke a finger or two when he tried to punch me. I ducked, and he hit a statue." Chloe giggled at that, and Oliver's grip tightened on her a little as he continued. "Also, I think I might have broken his nose, if all the blood dripping on his white suit was any indication."

She sighed. "You're a good friend, Ollie."

"Thanks, Sidekick. So are you."

"Oliver? There's something I have to tell you," she said, thinking about the thought that had come to her just minutes before, the thought that had crashed through her mind after Bruce had kissed her, the intense way he'd looked at her, the way he'd noticed her bruise but had refrained from asking where it had come from... The way there had just seemed something so familiar about him.

"What's that, Sidekick?" Oliver asked, and Chloe took a deep breath before speaking.

"I think Bruce Wayne might be Batman."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimers, etc., in part 1

Part Three: Of Superheroes and Distraction Techniques

Chloe had, of course, been right. Bruce Wayne was indeed Batman. After a night of denials, he had finally admitted to it, only after Oliver had admitted to being the Green Arrow, the blond man informing his former classmate that Chloe had figured him out, too. That, of course, had led to conversations about voice distorters, tricked out arrows, swooping around like a bat, and tricked out military vehicles. Chloe had found it amusing that two billionaires that had gone to school together had both decided - completely independently of the other - to become a masked vigilante. Oliver and Bruce had endured her amusement, but they hadn't quite shared it. At least, not in front of her. And that was how Chloe had become the secret keeper for yet another hero. It was a little awkward at first, at least for Chloe, because now she knew that Bruce had kissed her not once, but twice - once as himself and once as Batman - and of course he knew it as well... But she'd left that bit out when she'd told Oliver she thought Bruce was Batman. Bruce seemed to be fully aware that she'd left that bit out... And he seemed to thoroughly enjoy the fact that his old friend didn't know that a large part of the reason she'd figured out he was Batman was because of the look he'd given her after he'd kissed her. (Not that Chloe had confessed to Bruce how she'd figured it out, but there was just something in the way he looked at her... She was pretty sure that he just managed to *know*.)

Somehow, between discovering his identity and her story for the Planet regarding the masked vigilante known as Batman, it had been decided that she would be safest spending her time around Bruce while she was in Gotham on assignment. It had been Oliver and Bruce's idea, not her own, but rather than throw a fit about it, Chloe had decided to just deal with it... Oliver had been a bit suspicious about her easy agreement, and when she insisted on helping Bruce (at least in a technical sense) while he was out and about as Batman, they figured that was the reason why. On top of that, her stories about Batman had led to the Planet assigning her more Gotham-related stuff, and a few of the stories she'd unearthed had led to her get into a scrape or two herself because, well, the mob of Gotham might be afraid of Batman, but they really weren't afraid of a snarky blonde reporter from out of town.

Which is what had gotten her into the situation she was currently in.

She winced at the clatter of metal against metal as Batman - she had a tendency to think of him as Batman instead of Bruce when he was in uniform - kicked open the door of the storage space he was using as headquarters for his alter ego while he waited for Wayne Manor to be rebuilt. Alfred had already been called, so the older man was there, looking on in disapproval as Batman set her down on a stool. Chloe glared up at the imposing figure that had carried her in. "I can still walk, you know. It's just my arm," she said with a scowl, and Batman returned the glare.

"You could have been killed-"

"You say that like it's something new," she tossed back, aware of the muttering of the masked vigilante as he started pacing back at forth before storming out of the room, probably to get his vehicle inside and hidden, as well as to change out of his Batman costume. Chloe had the feeling he was done with his patrolling tonight.

Alfred made a 'tsk'ing sound as he looked at the gash on her arm... It was about four inches long, deep, and it needed stitches. Chloe knew that it needed stitches, and from the look on the older man's face, he knew it, too. "He really should have just taken you to the hospital," she said with a shake of his head, and Chloe responded by shaking hers.

"No way. I hate hospitals," she said, though she didn't tell him that one of the reasons she hated hospitals had a little something to do with the fact that she'd once woken up in a metal drawer in the morgue. That was another story for another time... Possibly never. Definitely not right now.

Alfred heaved out a sigh. "Miss Sullivan..."

"No hospitals," she said again, her voice firm, the banging of a door from behind them causing them both to look up. Bruce was back, no longer in Batman gear: she was always amazed by how quickly he could change from Bruce to Batman and back again.

"I couldn't exactly take her to the hospital dressed as I was, and if I take her now, there will be questions. We can stitch her up here."

"We?" Alfred echoed. "If you think I'm going to allow you to stitch this young woman up, you've obviously been falling on your head too much, Master Wayne. I've seen the stitching you do. If anyone gets near this woman with needle and thread, it will have to be me."

Bruce stared evenly at the man that was so much more than just a butler, and then he nodded shortly. "Fine," he said, then began pacing back and forth, an angry expression on his face, and Chloe could hear the man muttering to himself. She knew that Bruce was angry... Whether he was more angry with her for ending up in danger or with himself for allowing her to get hurt, she wasn't sure. Shaking her head slightly, she turned back to Alfred, noting that he was getting out everything he would need in order to stitch her arm up.

"You've done this before, right?" she asked, Chloe finding herself wishing not for the first time that her healing ability would work on her and not just on others. It would be nice to just miraculously have a perfectly healed arm and not have to worry about getting stitches... Much less stitches without anesthesia by someone who most definitely was not a doctor or even a nurse.

Alfred sighed. "A time or two, I'm afraid. As it turns out, I'm better with a needle and thread than he is," the man said, gesturing to Bruce, and Chloe realized that Alfred had apparently had to stitch up some of Bruce's various wounds a time or two. It made sense, really: Bruce couldn't show up at the hospital to get injuries he got as Batman taken care of all the time. Questions would be asked, and eventually, people would figure him out. Chloe winced a little at the thought that Bruce might have actually stitched himself up before. She didn't think she could do that.

Sighing, the little blonde deliberately looked away from Alfred hovering over her injured arm. "Just do it," she told him, and he sighed.

"You'll have to hold still. I'll clean the injury first, and then... Well, I'll stitch you up," the older man said, sounding tentative, and Chloe knew he didn't like the idea of hurting her. It kind of made her think of the time when Clark'd had to use his heat vision on her. Yes, this was different because Alfred was stitching her up after the fact and not causing the initial injury, but the hesitation, the worry... Clark hadn't wanted to use his heat vision on her any more than Alfred wanted to stitch her up without anesthesia. Neither wanted to cause her pain. But unfortunately, there were times when pain was simply unavoidable.

The young blonde woman clenched her teeth, fighting not to hiss when she felt Alfred cleaning the wound to her arm. She was vaguely aware that her outfit was ruined - the jacket that had gone with the suit had a sliced sleeve and was now bloody, and the blood had gotten on the sleeveless shirt and pencil skirt she'd been wearing as well, which really sucked, because she liked this outfit.

She bit her lip at the first feeling of the needle going through her skin. It was painful, yes, but feeling the needle and the thread going through and the pull of her skin was just plain weird. Her hands automatically clenched into fists, or they tried to - basically, she just ended up with a death grip on the seat of the stool she was currently perched on. She held herself stiffly, and she knew she'd probably gone pretty pale. It wasn't the first time Chloe'd had stitches, but usually, she got stitched up while actually in a hospital, and sometimes, she was still unconscious when her injuries were being tended to. This was a new experience for her.

Tears pricked her eyes. Bruce continued to mutter to himself, and Alfred finally heaved out a sigh.

"You know, Master Wayne, while I'm busy stitching the young lady up, you might make yourself useful by distracting her or something. I imagine this is quite painful," Alfred said suddenly, his tone mild, though there was an edge of disapproval to his tone. Bruce stopped short in his pacing, freezing almost instantaneously, and then he turned to look at her. He was a little blurry thanks to the tears Chloe knew were in her eyes, and Bruce swore quite suddenly before striding over towards her. He reached for her hand, the one that wasn't attached to an injured arm, and Chloe forced herself to let go of the stool in order to let him grasp her hand in his much larger one. She kept her gaze on him as he looked down at her left arm, the one that Alfred was in the process of stitching up. His expression darkened, his jaw clenching slightly, and then Bruce's eyes were on hers.

"You should be more careful. You could have been killed, Chloe-"

"And if I hadn't written that article, more people besides me would have been killed," she tossed back, her voice shaking only a little at the pain of her arm being stitched up. "I'm a journalist. It's what I do. It's not exactly running around town in a cape, but my stories have done some good-"

"Yeah, well, if you die, then what good can you do for anyone?" he demanded to know, and Chloe arched a brow at him.

"Couldn't the same be asked of you, oh great caped crusader?" she shot back. She'd unveiled her nickname for him in one of her stories, much to his chagrin, but at least he hadn't demanded that she stop using it. He was probably aware of the fact that a demand that she stop would only make her call him that more frequently. Chloe opened her mouth to continue snapping at him, but Alfred chose that moment to bring the needle back through her skin, and she wound up just letting out a gasp of pain.

Something odd passed over Bruce's expression as he looked at her, something she didn't quite grasp, but then his free hand was on her cheek and his lips were on hers, and he was kissing her. Alfred was stitching up her arm, but Bruce Wayne was kissing her. His lips on hers? Best pain reliever ever.

She let out a little gasp of surprise as he kissed her, the little blonde more than a little stunned by this turn of events, and Bruce took advantage of the way her mouth opened with the gasp, his tongue slipping between her lips and delving into her mouth to tangle with hers. The hand that had been holding hers moved to her hip, which was just fine with Chloe because it meant that, even though she wasn't allowed to move her left arm, her right arm was free to bring up to wrap around his neck, tugging him down even closer to her.

Chloe could have kissed him forever, and given the way he was barely letting her up for air, it seemed that Bruce actually felt the same. And if not for the sound of Alfred clearing his throat - rather loudly and insistently - there's no way to say just how long they would have stayed in that position, Chloe on the stool and Bruce standing in front of her, their lips fused together. However, Alfred did clear his throat, and Bruce reluctantly lifted his head, he and Chloe both looking down to find that her arm was not only done being stitched up, Alfred had apparently managed to bandage it as well.

The older man gave them a wry look. "I do believe it would be a good idea to get Miss Chloe back home now," he said, and Bruce was very still for a moment, and then he nodded, stepping back from her, but before Chloe could slide off the stool, he was right back there with her, wrapping her small form in a large overcoat that she knew had to belong to him.

"I'll take her home," Bruce said, surprising Chloe by lifting her in his arms, the little blonde then realizing it was probably a good thing that he was carrying her, because she felt more than a little shaky. She wasn't sure if the whole 'weak in the knees' feeling was from the kiss, from her injuries and subsequent treatment, or perhaps a combination of both. He was careful of her injured arm, making sure the one that wasn't hurt was the one pressed against him as he held her, Chloe able to cradle the other arm against her. She didn't feel the need to hang onto him, to put her arm around his neck, because she knew he wouldn't drop her.

"We'll want to keep an eye on those stitches. I made sure everything was clean, but I'm still no doctor," Alfred continued as he began to clean up the area.

"Of course," Bruce said with a nod, going to leave, Chloe cradled against his chest, her head on his shoulder because suddenly she was just so *tired*, the adrenaline that had come with being attacked and injured gone and leaving exhaustion in its wake, but Alfred wasn't quite ready to let them go just yet.

"And Master Wayne?"

"Yes?" The billionaire's tone was becoming exasperated. Alfred arched a brow at him.

"When I said to distract the girl, I'm quite sure I didn't mean to do so like that," he said, and Bruce glanced down at the girl in his arms before giving his butler and dear friend a look.

"It worked, didn't it?" Bruce tossed back before exiting the room with Chloe, neither of them seeing the small smile that touched the older man's lips, the slightly knowing look on Alfred's face as he resumed cleaning up.

"Indeed it did, sir. Indeed it did."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Thanks to the people that have reviewed the fic; I appreciate it.

Disclaimers, etc., in part 1.

Part Four: Of Worry, Old Wounds, and Waking Up

She groaned softly, putting a hand to her head, then frowning as she realized that she was in a bed. That was definitely not the last thing she remembered... The last thing she remembered was... Chloe swore softly as it came to her. Batman - Bruce, whoever he was - had come back from patrol hurt. It hadn't been life-threatening, but he'd been in a pretty bad way. He'd needed medical attention, more than Alfred could provide, and they couldn't just rush Bruce Wayne into the hospital with injuries that some criminal could swear Batman'd had as well. So Chloe had done the only thing she felt she could do: she had gone up to him, told both him and Alfred that if they called Oliver, he could explain it to them, and then she had reached out and put her hands on Bruce's torn skin, gritting her teeth and closing her eyes as she felt the power rush through her, lighting up the room. It was the last thing she remembered... Until now.

Pushing her hair back from her face, Chloe carefully got out of the bed she was in, noting that it was the guest room at Bruce's penthouse that she'd taken up residence in after the whole debacle where she'd been injured and Alfred was forced to stitch her up. A glance at the clock told her that at least twelve hours had passed since she'd healed Bruce, and she had to admit that the knowledge that she'd been unconscious - or worse - for at least half a day was more than a little disconcerting. She hadn't thought his injuries would take her out of commission quite that long...

Shaking her head, Chloe made it to the bathroom attached to the guest room, doing what she had to do, then making herself feel a little better by brushing her teeth and washing her face, dragging a comb through her hair. Making herself feel like she'd simply woken up from a good night's sleep instead of... whatever she'd been doing. It wasn't until she was exiting the bathroom that she heard the approaching voices.

"You've been sitting with her for hours. You heard Mr. Queen. There's nothing we can do-"

"But wait. I know, Alfred. And I'll wait by her side if I want to," Bruce tossed back, his voice dark with an emotion Chloe couldn't quite read as the man bid his butler to leave him alone, and she froze as the door slammed open, revealing him to her. He was dressed in jeans and a sweater, the clothes expensive but casual (Chloe wasn't sure if she'd ever actually seen him in jeans before this), and Bruce looked like he'd neither shaved nor slept in... Well, in awhile. It made Chloe wonder if she'd been wrong about how long she'd been out.

She gave him what probably barely passed as a smile. "Hey," Chloe said quietly, not quite sure what to say besides that, but suddenly she found herself jerked into Bruce's arms, her small form pressed tightly against his larger one.

"You scared the hell out of me," he intoned, his voice low, gruff. Chloe blinked as she took in the emotion she heard there, a little surprised.

"I... You were hurt, and there wasn't time to explain.. The longer I waited, the worse it would get, and..." She took a deep breath, purposely stepping back from him, and Bruce held her tighter for just a moment before he let her go. When she looked up at his face, he was stoic again, composed, though the circles beneath his eyes and the way his hair looked like his hands had run through it multiple times still gave him away. Chloe looked down. "So now you know my secret. I'm a freak."

"According to Oliver Queen, you're an empathic healer," Bruce corrected. "I have to admit, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it. But I never want to see it again."

"Bruce-"

"Chloe, you were unconscious for hours. You were alive, and your heart was beating which, according to Oliver, isn't always the case, but you were completely unresponsive and unconscious for... Thirteen hours, Chloe. I sat by your bedside for most of them. I didn't know if you were going to wake up. If you were in a coma for the rest of your life, or..." He trailed off, shook his head.

"I had to do it."

"No, you didn't."

She gave him a fierce look. "Yes, I did. You needed medical attention, and Alfred and I couldn't exactly drag Batman in to see the doctor. Nor could we take the time to change you out of your suit and take you as Bruce Wayne. The longer we waited, the worse it was, the more likely it was that there would be permanent damage. There weren't a lot of options, and I went with the only one I could stand."

"What if you hadn't woken up?"

"Then Gotham would have still had Batman," she tossed back. "Your injuries were bad, Bruce. But I've healed worse. I don't know why I was out of it for so long, but... The first time I did this? I basically brought my cousin back from death. You were at least still conscious. I don't know how it works, or why I was out so long-"

"Look at me," he instructed, stepping back and pulling off his shirt, yanking the sweater off over his head, and it took Chloe a moment to realize what he was getting at. The stab wound from the night before was gone, of course - she knew she'd healed that - but it wasn't the only injury that was missing. There were scars from old wounds, of course... faded scars from where he or Alfred had been forced to stitch him up... But the bruise on his shoulder from a bad landing a few nights ago was gone, and the half-healed gash on his arm no longer marred his skin, not so much as a hint that it had ever been there, and when he turned around to show her his back, which had been as bruised as his shoulder, all she saw was normal skin, no discoloration at all, a few fading scars, but nothing new. And that was when she realized what had happened. She hadn't just healed him of the stab wound: every injury he'd had that had been in the process of healing, whether it was a few hours old or a couple of weeks, had been healed, no traces left. Only injuries that had long ago healed left their trace on his skin.

"Oh." It was all she could think of to say.

"You heal every bruise on my body, take in my pain as your own, and lay unconscious for half a day, and all you can say is 'oh'?"

She closed her eyes. "I'm not going to tell you I'm sorry, Bruce. Because I'm not sorry that I healed you. I wish I'd had the chance to explain my power better, but... It's not something you bring up in polite conversation. I try not to bring it up at all, and I try not to use it unless I need to. I do my best to hide my abilities, but when I have to use them to save someone I care about, I do," she whispered, and as she stood there with her eyes closed, she heard a rather fiercely whispered obscenity slip from Bruce's lips, the sound of him moving, though she didn't know what he was doing - if he was just jerking on his sweater or if he was storming out the door or-

And then he suddenly grabbed her, yanking her towards him, and Chloe didn't have to wonder what he was doing at all, because she knew exactly what he was doing. Bruce Wayne was standing there (still shirtless, from what she could tell), his body against hers, his hands on her face as he lowered his head and kissed her. Bruce Wayne was kissing her. Again. He'd kissed her before, of course. The first time he'd met her as Batman, the first time he'd met her as Bruce Wayne, and that time she needed stitches and Alfred had been forced to be the one to sew her up, Bruce had used kissing her as the best method of distraction ever.

Those kisses? Nothing compared to this.

She felt like he was devouring her, drinking her in, completely consuming her. Her back was pressed against the wall, trapping her against him, but Chloe had to admit that she wasn't exactly trying to run. Far from it.

She groaned as his mouth lifted from hers. "You scared me half to death," he admitted before kissing her again, a slow, drugging kiss that practically made her toes curl, Chloe's hands sliding up his bare arms as she went to wind her arms around his neck, the blonde kissing the billionaire back for all she was worth. Part of her swore this had to be a dream, that no man would ever kiss her quite like this, and if not for the fact that she was afraid he might realize what she was doing, she might have pinched herself. Well, that and the fact that if this was a dream, she wasn't sure she ever wanted to wake up.

Chloe whimpered as his mouth left hers, then gasped as she realized that he'd only broken the kiss in order to find her jaw with his lips, his mouth then sliding down to her throat before his breath was hot in her ear. "Please don't scare me like that again," he told her just before he found her mouth with his own once more, and Chloe had no idea where this encounter would end, and she was pretty sure that she didn't care what happened next if she could only have this and then-

"Master Wayne, I know you want to sit with her, but- Oh, my."

They both froze for a moment, and then Bruce's face was pressed against his shoulder, the man whispering a litany of swear words, clearly as unhappy about Alfred's interruption as she was. After several long seconds, he lifted his head and turned to look at his butler. Given that her view was mostly obstructed by Bruce, she could just barely see Alfred standing in the doorway, shock evident on his face. The older man cleared his throat.

"I see Miss Chloe is up and about."

"Obviously," Bruce replied, his voice tight. Alfred arched a brow at him.

"I trust you didn't maul the girl as soon as she woke up."

"Alfred..." There was a hint of warning in his tone, and Chloe found herself fighting a smile despite the situation.

"Very well then. I came to tell you that Miss Dawes is here asking to speak with you."

"Can it wait?"

"I don't imagine she'll wait for the amount of time that... what you might have in mind would take," Alfred finally said, and Bruce sighed as he looked over at Chloe.

"You should go and talk to her. I need to... take a shower, change clothes... eat," Chloe said quietly, and the billionaire frowned, then leaned down, his mouth finding hers. This kiss was softer, more gentle, his mouth melding with hers for a moment before he lifted his head, stepping back from her and pulling his sweater back on. He paused at the doorway, giving her a look, his voice quiet but firm when he spoke.

"We'll finish this later."

She could only hope.


	5. Chapter 5

Part Five: Of Eavesdropping and Confessions

She made her way through the penthouse apartment slowly, intending to head towards the kitchen where Alfred had promised to have some of her favorite foods whipped up as soon as possible, but the sound of voices coming from the study gave her pause, the small blonde feeling a bit guilty for eavesdropping, but quickly shrugging off the feeling when she realized that she was the person being talked about.

"I can't believe you have her living here."

"Who does and doesn't live here is really none of your business, Rachel," Bruce said, his voice firm, a hint of warning in it. Chloe knew that Rachel and Bruce had more or less grown up together, so she supposed that was why Rachel ignored the warning in his voice, instead continuing on the subject.

"You're putting her in danger, Bruce. I've only met her once, and it wasn't for long, but... I like Chloe Sullivan. And having her here, where she could be connected to you... Or she could find out-"

"Chloe is fully aware that I'm Batman," Bruce interrupted, and Chloe heard the sharply indrawn breath that Rachel took at that revelation.

"You told her? Bruce-"

"I didn't have to tell her," the billionaire said, his tone wry, a hint of approval in it. "She figured it out all by herself. She's known for awhile, Rachel. She knew before she started staying here. All it took was one meeting with Batman and one meeting with me, and she made the connection. Chloe's very intelligent, and I don't imagine anyone could hide anything from her for long."

"And you actually trust her?"

"She's a reporter, Rachel. She hasn't screamed my identity in the headlines, and she's known who I am for weeks. She knows my secrets, and I know hers," he said, then spoke again after a pause. "I have it on good authority that she's an amazing secret keeper. And given some of the articles she's written, it's probably safer for her to be here, in my penthouse with me, than it is for her to be anywhere else in the city."

Rachel was silent for a moment, and when she spoke again, Chloe could hear the hints of surprise in the woman's voice. "You care about her. You... you have feelings for her, don't you?"

"And if I do?" Bruce tossed back. "Am I not allowed to care about people? To care about her?"

"I didn't mean... I'm just surprised is all."

"Surprised by what? The fact that I'm still capable of having feelings? Or the fact that I've moved on? It's no secret that you've moved on. Am I not allowed to do the same?" he questioned, and Chloe blinked in surprise at his words as she stood just outside the door. It didn't surprise her that there had been something between Rachel and Bruce, but the fact that he was talking about moving on - with her, no less - gave her pause. Yes, Bruce had kissed her - multiple times - and what had happened earlier in her room was just... whoa. But she hadn't really thought too much about what it meant. Yes, she found Bruce incredibly attractive, and he apparently liked her enough to kiss her senseless, but... She hadn't really thought about it beyond that. She hadn't allowed herself to... Mainly because the guys she got interested in were usually either not interested in her, or they were evil psychos. Since she was fairly certain that Bruce wasn't evil (though some might say he was crazy if they knew what he was doing with his free time), she'd figured that, despite the amazing kisses, he probably fell into the first category.

"I never said you couldn't move on, Bruce."

"You just didn't expect me to." He was silent for a moment. "I admit that I didn't expect to, either. But then..."

"You met Chloe Sullivan."

"Yes. I met Chloe Sullivan. She changes things. She challenges me, and she fascinates me, and... This is a conversation that I should have with her before I have it with anyone else."

A laugh. "You mean you haven't told her yet?"

"I've dropped hints," Bruce replied, and from her position near the door and beyond their line of sight, Chloe blushed slightly, thinking about the 'hints' he'd dropped.

"You've never been one for subtleties, Bruce," Rachel said, then paused. When she spoke again, a hint of worry entered her voice. "You look tired."

"It was a long night," the billionaire confessed, and Chloe frowned slightly, once more feeling a bit guilty over the fact that he'd been up all night worried about her. But she really felt she hadn't had a choice... and if it came down to it, she would do it again if she had to. Because, quite frankly, she cared about Bruce, too.

"Something happen?" Rachel asked, and Chloe bit her lip, wondering what Bruce would tell her-

"Nothing to worry about. Chloe wasn't feeling well, and I stayed up with her for awhile," he said, and the little blonde almost snorted. 'Wasn't feeling well'. That was one way to put it.

"Will she be okay?" the brunette woman questioned, sounding concerned, and Chloe sighed softly, deciding that it was time to make her presence known. Really, she should have made it known earlier, but she just hadn't been able to resist listening in... Even if it wasn't the nicest thing to do.

"I thought I heard voices," she said quietly as she entered, dressed now in a lightweight sweater and jeans. She instantly felt Bruce's eyes on her, even as she was smiling slightly at Rachel.

"Chloe," the other woman said. "Bruce said you weren't feeling well last night. I hope you're feeling better."

"Much," the blonde replied, going over to Bruce without really even thinking about what she was doing until she was standing next to him... His arm came around her waist in a gesture that seemed natural, and Chloe blinked as she looked up at him. He arched a brow as he glanced down at her, and Chloe had the feeling that, as soon as she'd entered the room, Bruce had realized that she'd been standing there for much of his conversation with Rachel.

The brunette woman cleared her throat, looking at them for a moment before taking a step back. "Well... I should go. I have a busy day ahead of me." She looked over at Chloe. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

Chloe and Bruce watched in silence as the woman left, her heels clacking against the floor as she did so, and it was several moments after Rachel had disappeared from sight that Chloe finally ventured to look up at Bruce, finding his eyes on her.

"You heard what I said."

"Maybe I did."

The hint of a smile ghosted over his lips. "More than maybe. But since you haven't run away yet..."

Chloe pressed her lips together, stepping away from him, starting to walk across the length of the room. "You and Rachel..."

"Are friends. Nothing more. I won't deny that there used to be feelings. But she's moved on, and... Well... You heard what I said."

"I did." Chloe stopped, tilted her head as she looked over at him. "Why me?"

"Why not?" he returned, a smiling playing on his lips before he grew serious once more. "You heard what I told Rachel, and I wasn't lying to her. I've never met anyone quite like you."

"Well, thank goodness. The world would be way too exhausting if everyone was like me," Chloe told him, and Bruce smile.

"Exhausting... But utterly fascinating. Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" he asked suddenly, and Chloe blinked at him, surprised. He laughed softly at her response. "You seem surprised."

"Guys don't usually notice whether I'm pretty or not," she confessed, and he arched a brow at her.

"Trust me, Chloe. They notice. But your personality is probably a little intimidating for some of them."

"This from the man who has half of Gotham terrified as he swoops around in a bat costume," she teased, and Bruce smiled at her, stepping closer. His hands settled at her waist.

"I said some of them. I didn't say you intimidated me. You challenge me and fascinate me and... I find that when you walk into a room, I can't seem to keep my eyes off of you," he told her. "From the moment I met you on patrol... And then to see you again as the date of an old friend just a few nights later." He shook his head. "I was jealous of Oliver that night. Then, of course, you both made it a point to say that you were just there as friends..."

"Well, we are just friends."

"I know. Because if you were more than friends, I highly doubt Oliver Queen would have left you alone anywhere within my vicinity," the man said with a smile. "Of course, considering how protective he seems to be of you... I'm a little surprised he left you alone with me anyway."

"Bruce-"

"If you're not interested, just tell me, and I'll back off," he told her, his hand coming up, fingers stroking her cheek, and Chloe arched a brow at him.

"Not interested?" she echoed. "Um, was I the only one paying attention upstairs earlier? Because, uh, that definitely was not a lack of interest on my part."

His lips curved upward a bit more at her words, the dark-haired man stepping closer to her. He towered over her, just like almost every other male she knew (aside from Bart anyway), but she didn't feel intimidated or uncomfortable by his nearness. Instead, she felt safe... and she couldn't deny that she felt a little thrill at how close he was to her. "I was a bit... involved myself."

"I felt like you were swallowing me whole." She looked up at him. "I kind of liked it."

A smirk. "Only kind of?" he questioned, moving even closer to her (how was it possible for him to keep moving closer and closer to her), and then his hands were on her face and this time, when he leaned in to kiss her, he kept it gentle. His hands slid so that he was cupping her face, his thumbs stroking over her cheeks, his mouth on hers... One hand moving, running down her back to her waist, his arm wrapping around her, and Chloe let her hands slide up his chest before her arms came around his neck, the blonde pressing herself closer to him, their bodies touching as their mouths were fused together. When it became too much, when the need to breathe forced them to part, they finally did so, Bruce brushing another kiss over her lips before he lifted his head just enough to be able to look down at her.

"Wow." The word slipped out of Chloe's mouth before she could stop herself, and Bruce gave a small smile.

"I concur," he whispered. "You know, Oliver is probably going to punch me now."

She blinked. "Why is that?"

"Because... As I said before, he's rather protective of you. And the fact that you're here, with me, and I'm now going to be trying to convince you to stay in Gotham indefinitely... Well, he probably won't like that very much."

"Well, he'll just have to live with it," Chloe told him, bringing a smile to the man's lips, Bruce leaning down to kiss her again... Chloe giving him an assessing look when he broke the kiss, the young woman lifting her hand to trail her fingers beneath his eye. "Rachel was right."

"About what?"

"You look exhausted, Bruce."

"I didn't sleep well last night."

"I know. And I'm sorry for that. But I'm not sorry that I healed you. It was worth it to me. And if you want to make sure I don't do it again... Maybe you could avoid getting stabbed," she told him, and he sighed, drawing her closer, his arms wrapped around her slender form. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I'll see what I can do. And I'd appreciate it if you could try not to get injured, too. I didn't particularly care to see Alfred stitching you up," he told her, and she smiled slightly.

"I kind of liked your method of distraction, though," the blonde told him, and he laughed softly, then ruined it by yawning. Chloe shook her head at him. "You should get some sleep."

He arched a brow at her. "I stayed with you while you slept. You going to stay with me?"

"I suppose I could do that," she said, surprised when he made his way over the couch instead of heading for his room. He laid down on the couch, then tugged her down with him, Chloe blinking when he pulled her down so that she was completely on top of him instead of just curled against him. Deciding that she didn't mind the position, she let her head rest on his chest, then suddenly looked up at him. "You sure you're going to be able to sleep like this?" she asked, and he gave a slight smile, his arms wrapping around her once more.

"Well, as long as you're here with me and I know you're not off getting into trouble, I think I'll manage to get some rest," Bruce replied, and Chloe sighed, smiling a little as she lowered her head to his chest again, settling against him... Realizing just how exhausted he'd really been when it only took a few minutes for his breathing to even out, the man relaxing and seeming to fall asleep, his arms still wrapped around her. Chloe smiled a little as she closed her eyes, her hand resting on his chest, just over his heart... The sound of rustling near the door causing her to open her eyes just the slightest bit... But not enough for the older man standing in the doorway to realize she was awake. Alfred stood in the doorway for a moment, and then she saw a small smile touch his lips before he turned to leave, shutting the door behind him so that they wouldn't be disturbed. Chloe closed her eyes again, surprised when a tired voice spoke up, the blonde not realizing until then that Bruce hadn't been entirely asleep just yet.

"Chloe? Do you think you could be happy here? In Gotham? With me?" he asked, and she smiled, shifting so that she could drop a kiss on his lips, then laying her head back down.

"I think I already am."

The End


End file.
